Issue - meetings

This report summarises the issues discussed at the Civic Working Group meetings held since the last Charter Trustee meeting in July and seeks support for any recommendations arising

The Chair of the Civic Working Group, Councillor Williams, presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'A' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The report summarised the issues discussed at the Civic Working Group (CWG) meetings held since the last Charter Trustee meeting in July, focussing on work undertaken following receipt of specialist King’s Counsel (KC) advice on the remit of the Bournemouth Charter Trustees (CT), including matters relating to twinning.

The specialist advice received had confirmed that the remit of the Charter Trustees was limited to:

• Appointing a Charter Mayor and Deputy Charter Mayor;
• Ensuring the safe custody of the Charter of Incorporation; and
• Acquiring, holding, administering, maintaining and improving historic property of a ceremonial nature.

As a result, the Standing Orders and Handbook were proposed to be amended to better reflect this advice. At the same time, it was felt that that there was an opportunity to tidy up the Standing Orders to clarify certain matters (such as the mechanism by which Charter Trustees could be removed, as set out in law.) The proposed amendments were set out in the report’s appendices A-D and were recommended for approval.

Some Trustees raised concerns over a lack of clarity on which proposed changes were resulting from KC advice and which were ‘tidying up’ or additions for clarity. Some Trustees felt that they were unable to agree the proposed changes without first seeing the KC advice.

Honorary Clerk confirmed that the proposed changes resulting from the KC advice were mostly in section 1, with the amended Handbook reflecting those updates.

The Honorary Clerk and Mayor reminded Trustees that they had delegated authority to the CWG to review such matters and make recommendations accordingly. It was confirmed that the CWG had carefully considered the KC advice as supported by officers and while the request to see the KC advice was noted, the advice was protected by legal privilege and so could not be shared (though the honorary Clerk did provide some detail). Trustees were advised that the report of the CWG accurately reflected the KC advice and was sufficiently detailed to allow Trustees to determine the recommendations before them.

In response to a query on the strictness of the CT remit and the potential for the CT to take on tasks from the principal authority, Trustees were advised that the advice from the KC was that certain tasks or events previously managed by the CT, such as Remembrance events, were outside of its the remit. As a result, 2024 Remembrance events in Bournemouth and Poole had been undertaken and paid for by BCP Council, with the Bournemouth and Poole Mayors invited to lead their respective events.

Trustees were reminded that the CT was funded by the Council Tax precept, with that money to be used for CT functions only. Were this money to be used for matters deemed outside of remit, the CT could be subject to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16